Maggie's Turn (22 page)

Maggie loved riding on the bike. The freedom she felt was exhilarating, with the wind brushing her body and the power of the bike beneath her. Her body became as one with the bike, almost by instinct. Each curve in the road required her to lean, and soon, she was doing so without any thought to it. It felt nice, holding on to Rob, too. He was firm and strong to hold onto, giving her a real sense of trust in his ability to keep them safe on the road.

They crossed the border into Oregon and, after a time, stopped in the town of Seaside at a roadside café for lunch. Once they were seated in a booth and handed menus, Rob asked, "How are you doing so far? Sometimes it can get uncomfortable, riding a cycle when you're not used to it."

"So far, I'm okay," Maggie said. "Can't promise that will be true tomorrow though."

Rob chuckled. "We'll stop tonight about halfway to my place so we don't overdo it. I don't know about you, but my back gets sore on the bike after a few hours. It's the price of getting old."

Maggie smiled and nodded as the waitress came back for their order. Once she was gone again, Rob asked, "Does your husband have a cycle?"

Maggie shook her head. "No, you couldn't get Andrew anywhere near a motorcycle. He's likes nice cars, but he's not much for toys like motorcycles, boats, or snowmobiles. My son, Kyle, loves anything with an engine. He has a smaller cycle he rides in the summer. Scares the crap out of me, but he seems to be careful."

"Yeah, that's how it starts. One toy, then another, then you have to have bigger and bigger," Rob said and grinned. "How old is your son?"

"He's nineteen. He goes to college and works part-time at the local cycle shop. He doesn't like college though. There isn't anything there that interests him. I think he's going to try the tech college next."

Rob nodded. "Sounds like it would be perfect for him. Did I also hear you have a daughter?"

"Yes, I do. She's fourteen, and her name is Kaia. She's very smart, too, like her brother, and athletic, something I never was. She plays tennis on the middle school tennis team. She used to play volleyball, too, but it got to be too much."

"And I bet she's as pretty as her mother," Rob said softly.

Maggie blushed. She wasn't used to getting compliments. "Oh, she's much prettier. She has gorgeous, thick auburn hair and blue eyes. She takes more after her father's side of the family."

As they ate, they talked about the places they'd lived, books they both enjoyed reading, and their favorite music. Maggie loved romance novels and mysteries, and old rock 'n roll from the 70s and 80s. Rob enjoyed horror, thriller, and mystery novels, especially Stephen King, and the same music as Maggie.

"Nothing better than an old Eagles tune," he said. "And of course, Bob Seger," he added with a wink.

"Do you know where we'll be stopping tonight?" Maggie asked, as they finished up their lunch.

"Yep. There's a great place a few hours from here, right on the coast. I stop there every time I travel up to Seattle. Wait till you see it. You'll be amazed."

Maggie was amazed when they pulled up to the Victorian Bed & Breakfast, which sat on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The home was beautiful, but in the haze of the evening fog, it looked like a house right out of a creepy novel.

"My goodness, this place looks like something from a 1940s movie, where the heroine is pushed off the cliff and comes back to haunt the house," Maggie said, as she stood there, staring up at the old home in the mist.

"That's exactly what it looks like. Or from the cover of one of those old historical romance novels where a woman in a long, sweeping dress is running away from the house," Rob said, laughing. "In fact, this house was used in a few movies in the 1940s because of its location. Don't worry, though, it's cozy inside, and the owner is a doll."

Rob was right. The inside was warm and cheery with a crackling fire in the hearth and charming Victorian period furniture. The owner, Mrs. Nebish, was a sweet older lady. She wore a calico skirt and cream cardigan sweater over a frilly blouse, her silver hair was rolled up in a bun on her head, and she wore small, half-moon reading glasses on the end of her nose. She set them up in two very comfortable rooms, also decorated with Victorian era furniture, and set out a plate of sandwiches, homemade cookies, and two glasses of milk for them to eat in the kitchen.

Maggie loved it here. It was like going to your grandmother's house, and she said as much to Rob, who nodded his agreement.

"That's why I love this place. It's a bit creepy on the outside, but Mrs. Nebish makes it so inviting and comfortable here that I feel like I'm right at home," Rob said.

It was late by the time they finished their food, so they said goodnight at Maggie's door. "This has been so much fun," Maggie told him. "Thank you for inviting me along. It was just what I needed."

Rob bent over and brushed a friendly kiss on Maggie's cheek. "I'm happy you came, too," he said quietly. "Goodnight."

Once Maggie was tucked away in her room, sitting on the cushy double bed with the gas fireplace turned on to ward off the evening's chill, she thought about her day and the way Rob had kissed her on the cheek. Did that mean anything? Was he just being friendly? She had no idea, but it had felt nice. As she lay there, her phone buzzed. She looked at it, thinking it would be Andrew. He'd been texting her all day, asking her to call him, but she'd ignored him. The last thing she wanted to do tonight was fight. To her surprise, it was Cassie calling.

"Hi. What's up?" Maggie said when she answered the phone.

"Hi. I hope you've stopped for the night," Cassie said.

"Yes. We stopped a couple of hours ago, right before dark."

"Did he take you to that creepy old house where the owner looks like a sweet grandma but is probably Norman Bates' mother?" Cassie asked, teasingly.

"Cassie! That's terrible. Mrs. Nebish is a sweet lady. But you're right. The outside is a bit creepy. I can't wait until tomorrow morning, so I can take pictures of it before we leave."

"So, how was your first day on the road with Rob?" Cassie asked. Her tone sounded like one of Kaia's teenaged friends teasing about a new boyfriend.

"Fine. We stopped a few times, had lunch, then stopped for the night. And yes, nosy, we each have a room to ourselves. So get your mind out of the gutter."

"He's a sweetie, though. Don't you think? And he's cute, too," Cassie said.

"Cassie, stop it. We're just friends, and you know that," Maggie warned.

"Hey, I can always hope."

Maggie smiled and shook her head. "Did you call for a reason, or just to act like a twelve year old?"

Cassie sighed. "I called because I wanted to see how your day went and to tell you that Andrew called here today."

"Andrew? Why did he call you?"

"He said you weren't answering your phone, and he asked if he could talk to you," Cassie said. "I hope you don't mind, but I told him you were riding down to a California vineyard with a friend, and you probably couldn't be reached."

"You told him that? Why?"

"Because it's the truth. I didn't tell him who you're with, though. So I wanted to warn you about him knowing where you are in case you talk to him.

"Gee, thanks. You're a big help," Maggie told her.

"You're welcome. Have fun with Rob."

Maggie clicked off her phone before Cassie could tease her anymore.

Maggie thought about calling Andrew, but it was already late, which meant it was two hours later at home. She didn't want to wake him. It would only make him crabbier. She decided she'd call him tomorrow night when they got to Rob's house.

As Maggie drifted off to sleep, she thought about her life with Andrew over the past twenty-three years and how much both of them had changed. He'd become less caring and more self-centered while she'd become more withdrawn from their marriage.
How did this happen?
You marry and look forward to all the possibilities together, then slowly come apart as those dreams become reality. She thought about the kids, and how soon they'd be gone and building their own lives. Where would that leave her and Andrew? And then, out of nowhere, she thought about the innocent kiss Rob had placed on her cheek. Andrew hadn't made that sweet of a gesture to her in a long time. She finally fell asleep, no longer thinking of her problems, but instead, marveling at how a simple gesture could make her feel so alive.

Chapter Twenty-One

Andrew awoke on Friday, feeling good about himself and his life for the first time in years. He felt good about reconciling with Kyle. He could now rebuild a relationship with him and, hopefully, make up for his terrible transgression. He and Kaia were once again on good terms, and he was going to work hard to keep it that way. Even though the hardest part still lay ahead of him—finding a way to win Maggie's forgiveness and making it up to her—he felt as if he were nearly there. Because he now felt he no longer
had
to commit to Maggie, he sincerely felt he
wanted
to recommit to Maggie. He hoped she felt the same way as he did.

Throughout the day, Andrew tried calling Maggie on her cell phone, but without luck. He'd left messages and texts, but she still hadn't replied. By mid-afternoon, he was getting desperate to talk to her, so he swallowed his pride and called Cassie's home phone. Cassie and he had never gotten along well, and to be honest, he never really understood why. But he wanted to talk to Maggie, and if he had to go through Cassie, then so be it.

"Maggie's not here," Cassie told Andrew after a less than warm hello.

"Can you tell her to call me when she returns?" Andrew asked. He figured she was out shopping for the day or maybe on the beach with the kids. He knew how much Maggie loved the ocean and that she'd make sure to enjoy the beach as much as possible while staying there.

"I don't know when she'll be back," Cassie said bluntly. "She left to go down to wine country with a friend today, and she's staying at his home for a few days. She didn't say when she'd be back."

Andrew was stunned.
His home,
Cassie had said. Who was
he
? Andrew didn't want to get into a sparing match with Cassie, so he pretended he hadn't heard her say
he
and asked if she'd tell Maggie to call him if she heard from her.

When he hung up, Andrew wondered if Maggie had really taken off with another man, or if Cassie was just trying to upset him. Cassie could be a pain, but she had never purposely tried to start an argument between him and Maggie. Nevertheless, he sat at work the rest of the day wondering who Maggie was with.

Andrew didn’t have much time to think about Cassie's words after picking up Kaia and heading off to buy groceries again. This time, he heeded Kaia's advice, and they stopped at Walmart to buy most of their groceries, then went to the local grocery store for the few other items they needed. A teenaged boy bagged their groceries, this time, and carried them out. He was talking to Kaia like he knew her, and as Andrew watched carefully, he noticed she was smiling and blushing in response to his attention. After the bags had been stowed and they were in the car, Andrew asked, "Do you know that kid?"

Kaia's smile turned into a grimace, and she slid her eyes toward her dad. "His sister is in my class. He's a junior in high school. Why?"

Andrew noticed her defenses going up immediately. "I was just asking," he said nonchalantly, then he started the car, and they headed home. During the drive, however, he wondered about the way Kaia acted around the boy. She was fourteen, just a child as far as he was concerned. But the way she had acted, it was like she had a crush on that older boy. For the first time, he noticed that his little girl was actually growing into a young woman, and the thought scared him.

"Can I ask you a question without you getting mad at me?" Andrew asked.

Kaia continued staring out the window. "Okay."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

Kaia's eyes grew wide, and she turned to stare at her dad. "Daaaad!"

"Don't get mad at me. I was just asking. It just seemed to me like you liked that boy."

Kaia crossed her arms dramatically and sighed, looking straight ahead of her. "We're just friends."

"Do you like him though?" Andrew asked.

"Dad, stop asking me that."

"Why?" Andrew asked. "I mean, if you like him, why wouldn't you tell me?"

Kaia stared hard at her dad. "Because you're my dad. And because you still think I'm a little kid."

"Do you talk to your mom about stuff like this?" Andrew asked, feeling a little put out that Kaia didn't trust him enough to talk about boys with him.

Kaia shrugged. "Sometimes. But that's different. Mom doesn't treat me like a child. She knows I'm growing up, and she's okay with it. You're different. You haven't really noticed I'm growing up."

Kaia's words stabbed at Andrew's heart, even though he knew she hadn't meant them to. "I know you're growing up. I just didn't expect it to happen so fast," he said. "Can I ask you another question?"

"Not about boys, I hope."

Andrew chuckled. "No. Not about boys. Kyle said something to me about never being around and seeing what goes on in the family. I know I've spent a lot of time at work and with all my projects, but do you feel the same way? Do you feel like I'm not around enough?"

Kaia looked down at her hands. "Yeah, sort of," she said. She turned and looked at her dad. "You used to be around and do stuff with us, but over the past few years, it's like you're never home. We just got used to doing everything with Mom instead."

Andrew pulled into their driveway and stopped the car. He reached over and placed his hand on Kaia's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he told her sincerely, looking into her eyes. "I never meant for that to happen. I guess I told myself that you and Kyle were getting older and didn't need me around as much, and you always had your mother. But that was wrong. I promise, I'll try to be around more, okay?"

Kaia smiled shyly. She wasn't sure how to react to her dad being so honest with her. "Okay," she said.